Monday, March 27, 2017

I love Groth!

I blame it all on my sister, La Serenissima.  She had played a little bit of tennis back in grammar school (with nuns, in habits), but come British summertime she'd be glued to the telly for the entire fortnight of Wimbledon.  I mean, nonstop.  And being 10 years younger, what was a little Vinogirl to do?  La Serenissima soon had me hooked. Nowadays, if I am not watching the news, or something English on PBS, I am watching tennis. Only now, I get to blame my fondness for the game on Vinomaker, who does actually play tennis 3 or 4 times a week.
I tried learning to play tennis a few years ago (a funny story in itself), but I wasn't very good, as, alas, most English people aren't.  So, in lieu of having countrymen and women to cheer on, I gravitated towards the Australian players who were all just so good at chasing that little white ball - I'm showing my age - around the court.
Tennis is hard, really hard, and that's why I appreciate a player like Sam Groth, a current Australian player on the ATP tour.  Sam has the distinction of having the fastest serve on record (that's serve, actually getting the ball in play), which was clocked at an incredible 163.4 mph.
I love tennis.  And I have it on good authority that Sam is, "a big wine fan."
Go Grothy!
Photograph courtesy of Samuel Groth, professional tennis player.

4 comments:

Thud said...

A bottle of Dead arm for that man is in order.

Vinogirl said...

Thud: I'm fairly certain that Sam has probably tried d'Arenberg's 'The Dead Arm' before, but I think he is now developing a taste for Napa wines :)

phlegmfatale said...

I don't watch often, but I do appreciate how dapper the attendees are at Wimbledon. The nice suits on the gentlemen and pretty dresses on the ladies makes it seem so much more grand than an American sporting event. It evokes another level of gentility, doesn't it? My problem with tennis is that you have to care enough to try to reach the ball to send it back to the other side, and it's always so hot, and who wants to sweat? Not me. ;)

Vinogirl said...

Phlegmmy: I too love that Wimbledon is so genteel, and the fact that they work hard to keep it that way. There's a lot to be said for upholding tradition.
That was one of my problems with trying to learn to play tennis, I got so hot, so quickly.